Pioneer Women Wind
Up Year’s Hard Work
Southwestern Jewish Press June 12, 1953 Page 7

Culmination of a year’s hard work will be celebrated at Pioneer Women’s Annual Donor Dinner on Sunday, June 21st at Manor Hotel.  Florence Barach, Chairman will present a play “Laugh with Israel” as part of the program. 

Citations will be awarded to members who have given of their services above and beyond their duty.  A fine musical program is also being planned.  Donors are invited to bring guests to this dinner at a nominal charge. 

Committee Chairmen were announced as follows: Cultural Chairman, Pauline Press and co-chairman Rose Abrams, Norma Schaffer and Rose Weitzman; Moetzat Hapoalot, Rose Domnitz, and Florence Barach; Publicity, Phyllis Weisenberg; Luncheon, Eleanore Gordon; J.N.F., Bertha Gaberman; Social, Rose Gordon.

National Council Of Jewish Women Installs New Officers:  Mrs. M. Roberts, New Prexy

Southwestern Jewish Press June 12, 1953 Page 7

National Council of Jewish Women, San Diego section had an outstanding program for its last regular meeting of the season as new officers were installed Thursday, June 11, in the Terrace Room of the Manor Hotel following a noon luncheon.  Mrs. R.R. Smith, president, presided and later was presented with an engraved tray as a token of appreciation for her excellent service to the group during her past two years in office. 

Chaplain Murray Blackman of Camp Pendleton gave the opening prayer and benediction.  New officers were installed in an impressive candlelight ceremony by Mrs. Samuel Friedman.  The candles were lit by the newly elected board as symbolic of their lighting the way to Council’s future which is human welfare the world over.  Mrs. Smith handed the gavel to new president, Mrs. Milton Roberts.

Others accepting office were:  Mrs. David Jaffe, Mrs. Robert Speigel, Mrs. George Uris, and Mrs. Estelle Levi.  Also installed as officers were:  Mrs. David Doctor, Mrs. Harry Sugarman, Mrs. Herbert Lewis, Mrs. S. Haimsohn, Mrs. Clark Moore.  New chairmen include:  Mesdames Irving Alexander, Joseph Kwint, Henry Weinberger, Mannie Adler, S. Gordon, Robert Drexler, Robert Benson, Harry Blumberg, David Horowitz, M. Rosenbaum, Albert Hutler, Carl Belkin, Chas. Townes, Harry Snyder, Al Morris, Gabriel Berg, Harry Kaufman. 

A musical program was presented by a talented baritone, Jack Wilson., accompanied by the well-known local concert pianist, Harold Zabrack.

Council used as its theme “Council Futurama” and featured a huge backdrop of modernistic décor with a bas relief of the United Nations building for it is in the U.N. that council feels lies the future of the world.  Council is the only Jewish women’s organization to have an accredited observer sitting in on sessions of the U.N. in New York.  The backdrop was created and given for this occasion by Mr. Sam Epstein.

Mrs. Harry Selzer, Western Region president of council will be the guest of the new president for a meeting June 16.

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This Is Your Life’ TV Program
Has Story Of Czech Refugee
Reunited With Brother
Southwestern Jewish Press June 12, 1953 Page 7

Millions of television viewers throughout the United States were thrilled when “This Is Your Life,” one of the nation’s most popular TV programs, reunited Mrs. Hanna Kohner, native of Czechoslovakia and one time inmate of a Hitler prison camp, with her brother Dr. Gottfried Bloch, whom she hadn’t seen for eight years.  Mrs. Kohner was the surprised principal subject of the NBC Network show.

Dr. Bloch was flown all the way from Israel to Hollywood, California, for the unannounced meeting with his sister, which climaxed a half-hour of moving revelations during which Mrs. Kohner saw ex-sergeant Harold Schucart, American soldier who actually rescued her from the concentration camp she was in, and several new-found American friends.

At the conclusion of the “This Is Your Life” show, Ralph Edwards, who had dramatically revealed the moving episodes in Mrs. Kohner’s past, delivered a strong plea for support of the United Jewish Appeal in order to help hundreds of thousands of others like Mrs. Kohner whose future depends on American response to the UJA this year.

Mrs. Kohner, who is not the wife of Hollywood agent, Walter Kohner, attempted to flee the Nazi purge and sought refuge in Amsterdam, Holland, during World War II.  She married in Holland only a few months before panzer units overran the lowlands.  Along with her husband and parents, Mrs. Kohner was seized and sent to a German concentration camp.  Only Mrs. Kohner survived and she was later rescued by General Patton’s liberating forces.  Mr. Kohner, a sergeant in the U.S. army who had been her lifelong friend, located her after the war working as a domestic in Holland where they were married shortly thereafter.


The entire group were surprise speakers at the Hadassah Donor Luncheon last week.  [This luncheon was held at the El Cortez Hotel on June 3, 1953.]

{Below an interview with the Kohner's daughter, Julie, on their life stories}



Alpha Phi Pi News
Southwestern Jewish Press June 12, 1953 Page 8

A formal initiation and dinner was held at the U.S. Grant Hotel, at which Mr. Jerry Apelman and Mr. Jerry Krasne were initiated into the Alpha Phi Pi.

A $50.00 contribution to the projected new community center was pledged by the Alpha  Phi Pi.

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